Chinese visit ITD Lab Feb. 27 to see ITD asphalt practices          

A small delegation from China visited the ITD Headquarters' Lab in the Annex recently to tour the lab and our hot-mix asphalt practices related to pavement preservation. Dr. Delmar Salomon, President of Pavement Preservation Systems, hosted the tour. The group was most interested in U.S. pavement-preservation practices, modified asphalt, emulsified asphalt, warm-mix asphalt, and the use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP).

The Pavement Preservation Systems group has conducted asphalt workshops at a refinery and several universities in China, planned and coordinated visits to some important Idaho organizations, including ITD. Central Lab Manager Clint Hoops led the tour of the mix, binder and paint laboratories at the department.

The chairman of the Jiangsu Tiannuo Road Material and Technology Company (Zhaomin Guo) visited, along with the chairman (Professor Zhang Yuzhen) and vice president (Meng Xu) of Jiangsu Innovation R&B Engineering Testing Company. Dr. Yuzhen is also president of the Asphalt Technical Committee Branch for Standardization of Petroleum Products and Lubricants of China (PRI), as well as the doctoral supervisor at the China University of Petroleum.

They presented ITD with the vase pictured above at the conclusion of the tour to demonstrate their appreciation for the knowledge shared. Translated in Mandarin by ITD's Yi Liu (pictured left), the explanation in the attached booklet explained that the Bird of Paradise represents vigor and aspiration, whereas the Peony flowers on the vase are prized in China for elegance, beauty, and fragrance, thus symbolizing dignity and prosperity. Next to a Bird of Paradise, the artist painted peonies, which bloom magnificent and joyfully, expressing mankind's wishes of harmony, prosperity, and happiness.

The Chinese delegation also visited Western States Asphalt, Strata Mix Design Laboratory, and Boise State University's Civil Engineering Department, where an important ITD research project on RAP is in progress.

China is on an accelerated pace to expand their road infrastructure, hence their interests in road materials and management practices. The group is headed next to the World of Asphalt tradeshow in Houston, Texas.

Published 03-09-18